The Early Years

"From the moment I was born I had an intense love for the Name of God, so much so that I would repeat the Name incessantly with every breath. In this way, there was a constant flow of divine thoughts in my mind, irrespective of where I was or what I was doing."

-Amma
Amma was born in a poor fishing village in Kerala, southern India, in 1953. She was given the name Sudhamani (Pure Jewel). Even as a small child, it was clear that She was unique. At six months She could walk and talk, and by the age of three She was constantly singing. By the age of five She was composing beautiful, extraordinarily profound hymns to Her beloved Krishna.
Sudhamani charmed and delighted everyone around Her. But as She grew, Her divine moods, including frequent meditative states, singing, and ecstatic dancing at the seashore, began to annoy Her family who didn't understand her at all. At the age of five Sudhamani was subjected to severe scoldings.

When Sudhamani was nine, Her mother became ill. Even though Sudhamani was exceptionally bright and at the top of her class, She had to leave school and take care of Her entire family.
It was a gruelling task, with seven brothers and sisters to feed and clothe, a house to clean and animals to tend. She virtually became the family servant, working from before dawn until midnight.

As part of Her work She had to collect food for her parents' cows. She roamed the local villages, gathering grass and visiting neighbourhood homes to ask for vegetable peels and leftover rice gruel for the animals. At times like these, She noticed many things that troubled Her. She saw how some people were starving, while others had more than enough. She saw that many people were sick and suffering from intense pain, unable to afford a single painkiller. And She noticed that many of the elderly were neglected and treated harshly by their own families. Her empathy was such that the pain of others was unbearable to Her. Though just a child, She began to contemplate the question of suffering. She asked Herself, why do people suffer? What is the underlying cause of suffering? And so powerfully did She feel the presence of God within Her that She wanted to reach out and comfort and uplift those who were less fortunate than She.

In many ways, it was then that Amma's mission began. She would share Her food with the starving, and She would bathe, clothe and comfort the elderly who had no one to look after them. She was punished when She gave away the family's food and belongings to the poor, but Sudhamani could not stop Her acts of kindness. She took refuge in the solitude of the night, spending hours meditating and fervently praying to Lord Krishna.

During the day She carried a photo of Krishna in Her blouse pocket and constantly chanted His names. During Her early teens, Sudhamani was sent to the houses of relatives where She laboured for long hours, taking care of their households as well. Throughout all her duties She was incessantly singing and chanting Krishna's name, and she imagined that all the work she did was for him. Sweeping the yard, she imagined that he could arrive at any moment. As she prepared food she imagined that Krishna would appear as a guest at the table. In this way she never resented her duties, nor the abuse her family gave her, but prayed to given more of the Lord's work.